Page 11 of Scarred (Russian Sinners 2)

“I can pay you fifty thousand now,” I spoke softly. “I’ll get the rest. I give you my word.”

He observed me like a predator and my heart sped up, like I just ran for miles. I wondered what he saw, or if he felt a fraction of the attraction I felt.

Blue,I thought to myself.His eyes are the color of arctic blues and just as icy.

“Take your hat off,” he commanded in a silky tone, and I stiffened. “And take off your sunglasses, there is no sunshine here,” he added in a hard tone.

Silence stretched and I just stood there, trying to think how I could get my brother and myself out of this situation. But nothing came to mind. I stood there with my mind blank, feeling trapped.

Could things get any worse?Yes, they could. I could be marrying Malcome today.

So I slowly reached up and took my fancy hat off, my hair fell in loose, red curls, matching my brother’s, down my back.

I could have sworn I heard an inhale behind me but didn’t want to turn around to check what that was about. The man in front of me was far more dangerous. And my eyes gravitated towards him, whether I wanted to or not.

I stood there, unmoving, across from his sitting frame as we studied each other. This very situation felt like a pivotal moment in my life. Shit was about to get much worse or other options would come out of it. I couldn’t pinpoint what made me think this but I was sure of it.

“Olivia,” my brother's voice was concerned. “I’m so sorry.”

So am I brother,but I kept the words to myself.

“Now your sunglasses,” another soft command. I hoped that he would not ask that again. The part of me that still cling to my old stubbornness and dreams. I didn’t want anyone to see what had happened to my eye.

My fingers slightly trembling, I slowly removed my sunglasses and a violent string of curses started flowing from all three men.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Oliver spat furiously. “How? When?”

He stared at my bruised cheek. “I’m fine,” I mumbled.

“Who did that to you?” The question was soft but there was an undercurrent of fury from the man that ordered me to take off my sunglasses. I turned my eyes back to him and for some stupid reason, I was glad I could see him better now.

He stood up and walked over to me, stopping a mere foot from me. Towering over me, I had to crank my neck to look up at his hard yet beautiful, scarred face. I was totally right. His eyes were a mesmerizing blue. It took my breath away. No man had ever taken my breath away before. That alone made this man even more dangerous to me.

His finger reached for my face and lightly brushed over my cheek. I winced although the touch was feather light. The bruise was a few hours old and pain still lingered.

“Who did that?” he repeated his question and I got the distinct sense he rarely repeated his questions. Actually, I’d stake my life on it.

“Her fucking fiancé,” Oliver answered, his voice pure hate. He hated Malcome, from the moment he met him. I didn’t like him either, but then I didn’t expect my father to sell me. But that was neither here nor there now. Although, this time Oliver was wrong. It wasn’t Malcome who caused my bruise.

“I’m fine,” I told both. “About the debt payment-”

“Sis,” Oliver interrupted me. “I got this; don’t worry about me.”

I felt tired. The last two weeks were rough. The worry over Anastasia and Scarlett weighed me down. Never glancing away from the beautiful, hard stranger, I felt oddly safe and comfortable around him. That probably said a lot about my sanity. My reasoning told me I should not feel safe around him but I did. I was eager to lean into him, soaking up his strength. I guess I could understand Scarlett’s fascination with her own stranger and hope that he could save her. Because the dangerous vibe this man in front of me portrayed brought up the same kind of ideas. Mentally, I scolded myself for hoping because that brought on nothing but extra pain and disappointment.

“Olivia,” my brother just wouldn’t stop talking.

I glanced back at my twin brother.

“Stop it, Oliver,” I ordered him then turned back to the beautiful and dangerous stranger.

“Can we arrange some payment plan to pay off the debt?” I spoke calmly while screaming in my head. My future sounded doomed already. I had been saving every penny I could get without raising an alarm so I could run off before the wedding. I had a plan to go into hiding; take my mother and run. It was the best possible plan I could come up with. The arrangements for the wedding were rapidly happening, and I had less than three weeks left.

Malcome’s sick perverted ways were getting more vicious each time I saw him. His messages promised sick, hurtful things he would do to my body once we married. I got off easy today. The bruise of my cheek was welcomed any day over the sick shit Malcome liked to do. My skin crawled with just a thought of his hands on me.

And my father was getting worse as well. My mother and I were the only ones around to get the brunt of his outbursts and they were painful too. “Mr…”

I realized I had no clue what his name was.

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